Joshua Justilien – Dear Drew, When will Justin Britt be back to play again on the offensive line?
DD: He's been out on the fields during practice but is still rehabbing and still on the Reserve/Injured (IR) list. Based on what Head Coach David Culley said earlier in the week, it looks and sounds like Britt will return in the next week or so.
The last two weeks, rookie Jimmy Morrissey's started at center and played pretty well. I got a chance to interview him earlier this week, and he's taken an interesting journey the last year. This time in 2020, he was finishing up his college career with the Pitt Panthers. He got drafted in the seventh round by the Raiders, was cut after the preseason wrapped up, signed with Las Vegas' practice squad, and then Houston signed him off the practice squad five weeks ago. Sunday will be his third straight start at center for the Texans.
James Garcia - Dear Drew, first off, Happy Thanksgiving. What are your thoughts on tanking for higher draft capital?
DD: I'm not a fan of it, and the Texans aren't doing it. There are never any guarantees in the next draft, and choosing to lose on purpose sends a pretty rotten message to the guys currently on the roster.
In the final week of the 2010 season, Houston entered the game with a record of 5-10. They played to win, beat the Jaguars, and finished 6-10. There were a few folks who howled that the Texans were dopes for trying to win and that they hurt their draft status.
That win may be knocked them back four draft spots. They still took J.J. Watt, though, so it worked out okay.
Am I promising they'll get another Watt-caliber player this year? Of course not. But the point is, you never truly know you're locking up a future start with a higher draft pick.
Oliver Rodriguez – Dear Drew, Why are the Texans not losing every game to get a good draft pick?
DD: Thanks for the question, Oliver. See my answer above.
Jeevan Kumar - Dear Drew, At this point of the season, are there any areas of the game that Texans exceeded your expectations from this season?
DD: The defensive front has been better than I thought it would be, and I thought they'd show improvement. I especially like what the Texans have gotten from Jonathan Greenard, who really didn't get to play a lot as a rookie last year. He's been a bright spot, and I've liked what the rest of the D-line has done in 2021.
The Texan will host the Jets on Sunday at NRG Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon CT on CBS and SportsRadio 610. Click here for tickets.
